Fiber laser and amplifier manufacturer IPG Photonics Corporation (Oxford, MA) announced that its German subsidiary, IPG Laser GmbH, received a major order for multi-kilowatt, continuous-wave Ytterbium fiber laser systems totaling 63 kW in power from the BMW Group in Munich, Germany for a new production line for the welding of automotive doors. The contract represents the first large-scale production use of fiber laser systems for the German automobile manufacturer.
The BMW group has used IPG's high-power fiber lasers in production for several years, and IPG was selected after extensive research and testing by BMW Group. The lasers, to be manufactured at IPG's facility in Burbach, Germany, are scheduled to be delivered in Q4 2008.
BMW Group purchased IPG's fiber lasers with a newly released integrated cooling system. The systems are also equipped with an integrated beam switch and flexible processing fibers. "We are pleased that the BMW Group has selected our efficient and compact high power fiber laser technology that is recognized in the industry for its proven reliability and overall performance," said Valentin Gapontsev, CEO of IPG Photonics Corporation. "We are seeing particular interest in our high-power fiber lasers in automotive applications because of their proven low maintenance and smaller footprint on the factory floor."
IPG sells cost-effective Ytterbium fiber laser systems for a variety of materials processing applications in a number of different industries. These kilowatt-class fiber lasers range in power from 1 kW to 50 kW, operating in continuous or modulated modes up to 20 kHz with wall-plug efficiencies of greater than 25%.
For more information on IPG, visit www.ipgphotonics.com.